After much speculation, the seat-sharing formula within the NDA for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections has been finalised. Following discussions among all constituent parties, the JD(U) and BJP have decided to contest 101 seats each.
Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has been allotted 29 seats, while Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) have been given six seats each.
The announcement was not made via a joint press conference but instead through social media posts by leaders of the alliance.
Sharing the details on platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), BJP’s Bihar election in-charge, Vinod Tawde, wrote: “A united and dedicated NDA… All members of the NDA family have amicably completed the seat distribution for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections through mutual consent. Leaders and workers of all NDA parties have welcomed this decision with enthusiasm. All partners are geared up and committed to bringing back an NDA government in Bihar.”
Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal, JD(U) Executive President Sanjay Jha, RLM Chief Upendra Kushwaha, LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan, and other NDA leaders also posted the seat-sharing figures and expressed unity within the alliance.
The formula was finalised after several rounds of negotiations, largely coordinated by the BJP’s central leadership.
While the BJP and JD(U)’s seat division had been agreed upon earlier, finalisation was delayed due to demands from Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi, both of whom insisted on a certain number of seats and specific constituencies.
Chirag Paswan was reportedly adamant on securing at least 30 seats, equivalent to his party’s five MPs in Parliament. Meanwhile, Jitan Ram Manjhi was reluctant to settle for fewer than 15 seats, as he sought to boost his party’s vote share to gain formal recognition from the Election Commission.
A breakthrough came on Sunday afternoon when Jitan Ram Manjhi declared: “I will remain with Prime Minister Narendra Modi till my last breath.”
This statement signalled reconciliation and was followed by the formal announcement of seat allocations.
The BJP’s effort to maintain equilibrium among its allies reflects its strategy to enter the elections with a united front.
The decision by the BJP and JD(U) to contest equal number of seats is being viewed as a symbolic partnership for the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls. However, political analysts suggest that this parity masks a deeper political reality, JD(U)’s declining strike rate, contrasted with BJP’s growing influence in the state.
Furthermore, BJP’s role in determining seat allocations for the three smaller allies has sent a clear message – the BJP is in the driver’s seat and is poised to lead the alliance both during and after the elections.
With the seat sharing concluded, NDA allies are expected to release their lists of candidates. The BJP has nearly finalised its candidates, and a meeting of its Central Election Committee in Delhi on Sunday evening is expected to approve the list.
Similarly, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) has completed its candidate selection. The LJP (Ram Vilas) had earlier stated that Chirag Paswan would announce his candidates once the seat-sharing was finalised.